Mark of the SuccubusReview

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Sucking jokes not included.

By KJB

Two finalists of Tokyopop's "Rising Stars of Manga", Ashly Raiti and Irene Flores, bring their Western influences to the world of manga with Mark of the Succubus, a dark fantasy romance that has all of the makings of being a series worth watching.

The story revolves around Maeve, a succubus in training who is sent to the world of humans to hone her skills of seduction.Things don't go as expected after she sets her sights on Aiden, a spectacularly unmotivated High School student.Maeve finds herself attracted to Aiden, something strictly forbidden.To get to Aiden, though, she'll have to go through his girlfriend, Sandra, who is self-obsessed and convinced she is far more talented than she really is.Let's face it, she's a bitch with a capital "B" and Maeve is a step up, even if she is training to be a soul sucking seductress. Hey, every relationship has its issues, ya' know?

New writer Ashly Raiti has done a very good job of creating her own universe here, a universe that is all too familiar for anyone that has gone through High School yet with a fantasy edge that gives everything a slightly different edge. Her characters better defined than many of those in manga, especially for the first volume. Where there is usually either too much character explanation or not enough, Raiti has successfully managed to give just enough. That is much more difficult than it sounds, especially for a newer writer.

The artwork by Philippine-born California girl Irene Flores is a perfect compliment to Raiti's script.Regular reader know well of my disdain for artists who cheat by creating page upon page of nothing but characters and half tones.Flores knows how to do her job right by not only providing some well crafted character designs with hints of both American and Japanese styles but by also creating the world around them.By using at least limited backgrounds, Flores creates two worlds here - the world of Maeve and her people, of imps, demons & succubae as well as the sometimes equally magical world of high school.Flores perfectly captures that teenaged world of bookstores, coffee houses biology classes while giving her characters a welcome detail for their everyday appearance.Many manga artists cheat here, as well, by either creating basic clothing that can be drawn quickly and as an afterthought; Flores' characters wear real clothes and live in a real world that is both recognizable and fantastic at the same time.

Both Raiti and Flores show incredible promise and it is easy to see just why they were finalists in Tokyopop's competition.As individuals, they may have only reached the finals but their pairing could be one of the best things Tokyopop has ever done.Mark of the Succubus is a great start for not only what looks to be a very entertaining series but hopefully two exciting talents that will continue to do great things in the future.

Both Raiti and Flores show incredible promise and it is easy to see just why they were finalists in Tokyopop's competition.As individuals, they may have only reached the finals but their pairing could be one of the best things Tokyopop has ever done.Mark of the Succubus is a great start for not only what looks to be a very entertaining series but hopefully two exciting talents that will continue to do great things in the future.